Installing Mac Drives

We just finished installing three new hard drives and three new versions of Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar on a blue and white G3 tower, and two 333 MHz Rev 1 tray-loading fruit-flavored iMacs.

The 80 GB Seagate Barracuda IV (we sent back an IBM that was made in China) worked easily on the first computer. The installation of Jaguar worked fine as well.

Then we disassembled the first iMac (Grape), which is not as serious as it sounds, and changed drives to a 40 GB Seagate. When we put in the first drive I decided to leave it in "cable select" mode. We found out later than this attempt at simplicity would not work.

The first install CD worked fine on Grape. It was the second which would not work. Apparently, the installation process instructs the computer to boot from its own hard drive, after which the computer is programmed to request the second installation CD (if necessary). However, the computer could not boot from the new drive because the default for "cable select" was to select the CD as master and the hard disk as slave.

We tried it three times, the first, plus an attempt to "reinstall," and an attempt to "erase and install." After we switched the drive jumpers to "master/single drive," we tried a minimal install, which worked, then we erased and installed everything like we meant to in the beginning.

After this fifth time, the computer did work, and we copied old files upstairs from the disk image we transferred over ethernet to the basement. On the second iMac we had a different problem. The open firmware didn't want to start from the CD after restarting. (On both computers we had to reformat the disk, then restart before the installer would recognize any partition as being within the first 8 GB, as required by these tray-loading iMacs.)

Eventually, by pressing the C key and trying a few times, we were successful. (The CD drive may have been slightly buggy.)

P.S. I know that science is not allowed to be exasperated, but on a personal note, I might add that each of the five installations on one computer took on the order of an hour, and each tinkering with the drive involved carrying the computer some distance, dismantling, with screws that were enormously stripped out, and carrying back upstairs. We weren't allowed to trip.

12-13-02: Here's how to change the hard drive of a tray-loading iMac. Lay the computer face-down on a towel to access the underside, and remove the screw. Pull the handle back and up to remove the case. Unattach the three cables and slide out the computer assembly after taking out two more screws.

The hard drive is located under the CD tray: push the CD tray back (it has short hooks) and pull upwards to remove. Take out the two screws on the sides of the drive bracket, and turn the computer assembly upside down to slide the drive bracket back and up (it has short hooks), then forward and out.

Four small screws keep the drive in its bracket. Remove these in order to change the drive. Be sure that the new drive is set to Master/Single (look at the new hard drive or its papers for instructions).

You won't need pictures, because your computer is easy to see.